


The Other Human

by WantonWhale



Series: Petty-Boy Eli [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Outbound Flight - Timothy Zahn, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Anal, Eli Vanto is just waiting for his dom potential to be honed, Eli is a maudlin drunk, Erotic banter, Established Thranto, Fingering, First Time Bottoming, First Time Topping, Happy discovery of latent jealousy kink, I know I didn't, Jealous!Eli, Jealous!Thrawn, M/M, Missionary, Possibly just full-on crack, SassaThrass, The position you use when you want to make sure you're boyfriend isn't thinking about his ex, Thrass's less happy discovery of his brother's kinks, Thrawn POV - Freeform, Thrawn and Eli probably need counseling but they have sex about it instead, Top!Eli, Try not to think too hard about the timelines, accidental dom/sub undertones, aren't we all, bottom!Thrawn, certainly full-on Thrawn's crack, comedic smut, crack adjacent, flagrant abuse of the EU, light punning, thrass pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:28:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23563075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WantonWhale/pseuds/WantonWhale
Summary: Eli finds out about Jorj Car’das before Thrawn returns to the Ascendancy and it isnothis best moment.Part 1: presented as a stage-setting string of vignettes following Thrass's experience of Eli's two years in the AscendancyPart 2: a not-at-all dramatic reunion between Thrawn and EliPart 3: smut ensues (Thrawn POV).Part 4: brief postlude (Thrass POV)
Relationships: Eli Vanto/Alexsandr Kallus (mentioned), Jorj Car'das/Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo (past), Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Series: Petty-Boy Eli [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1694419
Comments: 95
Kudos: 98





	1. Thrass had one job

**Author's Note:**

> Already completed, and scheduled to be posted within the week (barring purrgil and similar catastrophes)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Thrass, having Eli in the Ascendancy goes rapidly from mildly awkward to very unfortunate, potentially costly, (and slightly sticky).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains Eli being sad-mad and getting drunk about it.

  
_My pulse beats quick, my breath heaves short,_  
_My limbs deny their slight support;_  
_Cold dews my pallid face o’erspread,_  
_With deadly languor droops my head_

Sappho’s Poem of Jealousy, translated by Lord Byron

_What's worse, lookin' jealous or crazy?_  
_Jealous and crazy?_  
_Or like being walked all over lately, walked all over lately_  
_I'd rather be crazy_

Beyoncé, “Hold Up,” _Lemonade._

** Part I: Thrass had _one_ job  
**

Formbi’s lip curl almost imperceptibly. Had Eli not been working at close-quarters with Thrawn for nearly a decade he’d never have noticed it.

“What is that Human doing back here?”

Eli frowned.

The corners of Ar’alani’s mouth tightened. “ _This,_ Aristocra, is a _different_ Human."

Eli turned to Thrass. “What’s he talking about?”

Thrass hesitated a moment. “Nothing.”

* * *

“Oh. It’s back. _Again_.” Formbi’s gaze turned to Ronan. “And it’s brought a mate.” He narrowed his eyes at the new Human. “Odd. I was under the impression that all Humans shared the same unfortunate characteristics. But this one is plumper… and more… _pink_ than the other...” he paused a moment, “…two? Three? One can never keep track of Mitth’raw’nuruodo’s… _private projects._ ”

“Humans come in a variety of colors and sizes,” Ar’alani explained with admirable patience.

Formbi arched a graceful eyebrow. “How utterly uninteresting.”

“What’s he saying?!” Ronan demanded in a frantic whisper.

Eli ignored him and whispered urgently to Thrass, “Okay, _seriously_ : what’s he talking about?”

Thrass pulled out his data-pod and held it to his mouth. “Syndic Mitth’ras’safis, here.”

“It didn’t even _ding_ you son of a—“

* * *

“He hadn’t even _met you yet!_ ” Thrass said, his voice going higher with each retort to Eli’s increasingly-agitated questions.

“Then why didn’t he ever _mention him_?” Eli demanded.

“He never mentioned _me,_ apparently! His own _brother_! Why in Csilla’s seven moons would he mention his _ex?!_ ” Thrass shouted before going pale blue.

“HA!” Eli cried triumphantly, stabbing a finger at Thrass. “I _KNEW_ IT!”

“Ah, shit,” Thrass muttered as he watched Eli storm off, railing to no one in particular.

“LEARNED BASIC FROM A BOOK MY ASS!”

* * *

“Do you have a holo of him?”

Thrass rolled his eyes and gave his breakfast a last forlorn glance before turning to face Eli. “Why would _I_ have a holo of Jorj Car’das?”

Eli huffed. “The second I got here I had every biometric imaginable—and some _unimaginable_ —recorded. You’re telling me the Chiss don’t keep records of their ‘special private prisoners’?”

“I am certain they do, Eli’van’to. But _I personally_ do not.”

“And does _Thrawn_?”

“You’re asking me if _Thrawn_ kept holos of Car’das _over a decade ago_? As if that would somehow _prove_ he was being unfaithful to _future you_?”

Eli shook his head slowly. “He fucking _did_ , didn’t he?”

“Oh for…”

“I _knew it._ ”

* * *

Thrass narrowed his eyes. “Commander, where did you get those?” he asked as Eli slammed a holograph of Car’das being escorted from his ship onto the table in front of him. Now, seeing the picture after having met Eli, even _he_ had to admit that the physical similarities between the two _were_ unfortunately striking: the stature, the coloring, the shy smile, the unfailing curiosity of his brown eyes.

Or, at least, Eli’van’to’s eyes _used_ to be curious.

Now they mostly looked _deranged._

“Doesn’t matter,” Eli said, his wanton disregard for the consequences of his actions in the name of his current obsession disturbingly Thrawn-like.

Thrass rubbed his temples. “I’ve sponsored your residency on Csilla; if you’ve committed a crime—“

“The only _crime_ here _,_ ” Eli said, jabbing a finger at Car’das’s yellow spacer’s jacket, “Is _that outfit._ ”

* * *

“Commander…” Thrass said cautiously as he entered the underground gardens. “Don’t you think it’s maybe just a little _cold_ for your—“

“Who broke it off with who?” Eli asked, his brown eyes glittering.

Thrass sighed. “It was… sort of mutual I suppose? Car’das left to return to his people; I don’t think either of them expected it to be a _long-term thing._ ”

“I bet he’s _old_ now,” Eli muttered. “Old and stuck doing some stupid _job_ like—like—like— _supply._ ”

“I bet you’re right,” Thrass said, careful not to mention that Thrawn himself had negotiated a new position for Car’das working for the man who was now the Emperor.

“Oh no...” Eli said, suddenly crestfallen. “He’s in the _Empire. Thrawn’s_ in the Empire.” He turned to Thrass, his face frantic. “Do you know what your brother _does_ with people workin’ supply in the Empire?” The strange accent that had all but disappeared in his year and a half among the Chiss was back with a twangy vengeance as he railed, “He _takes ‘em,_ and he _snatches ‘em up!_ And he makes ‘em his _aide!_ And then he _fucks ‘em—_ and I don’t just mean figuratively—that’s what he _does_! That—“ he jabbed an accusatory finger at Thrass, “—is _your brother’s M.O!_ ”

* * *

“What the—“ Thrass bumped into something warm and solid and looked down to see Eli’van’to, slumped against the wall, clutching a bottle of ice wine.

“Was he good at math?” Eli asked, his voice oddly nasal. “Did he have a funny accent?”

“Oh dear,” Thrass muttered as he watched Eli drink straight from the bottle.

“Just tell me _one thing,_ ” Eli said with a sniffle, gesturing with the wine. “Did Thrawn teach him Cheunh?”

Thrass made a few rapid calculations as he debated which answer would get this maudlin drunk off his carpet. Apparently, they weren’t rapid enough.

“He _did!_ ” Eli choked, dropping the bottle to the ground to clutch his face with both hands.

Thrass winced for his new rug, but thankfully the bottle was empty.

 _Or it was empty now, anyway,_ he thought ruefully as he watched a few drops of indigo wine splash against his very new and very _expensive_ white wampa carpet.

“Damn,” Thrass said feebly as Eli mumbled mostly incoherently behind his hands. Still, Thrass caught something like “The stories about Chiss were true” and “I should’ve listened to my mother” and “I should’ve stayed in supply,” and, “Good Day, Lieutenant Vanto,” and, finally, “ _Numbers_ never lie to me.”

* * *

Thrass approached the shuttle, wearing the wince that had become semi-permanent these past few months. As the boarding ramp descended and the form of his brother appeared—a little older, a little more worn—but looking much the same as ever, he could barely manage to look happy to see him. “Brother,” he said, his attempt at a smile feeling more like a grimace. “ _Welcome home._ ”

Thrawn arched an eyebrow. “Brother,” he said, grasping Thrass’s arms in both of his and giving them a quick squeeze. “What is wrong?” He frowned as his sharp eyes darted around the underground hangar. “Where is Commander Vanto?”

Thrass’s short laugh of response sounded shrill and mildly hysterical to his own ears. “Have I got some _unfortunate news for you._ ”

* * *

“So, out of curiosity,” Thrass asked as the carriage conveyed them to Mitth manor. “Did you ever actually _tell_ the Commander how strong your feelings for him are?”

“I do not need to say with words what I clearly express with actions,” Thrawn said simply as he stared out at the speed-blurred scenery beyond the window. 

“I see,” Thrass said, nodding slowly. “And so, when your actions the _last_ time you saw him largely consisted of _ignoring him_ , what was that meant to convey?”

“No,” Thrawn insisted, turning to face his brother. “My actions consisted of risking being executed for _treason,_ because I gave a _known defector_ command of one of my TIE-Defender squadrons to support a foreign power so he’d have the opportunity to display his command-ability to the CDF, thus ensuring the restoration of his proper _rank_.”

“Uh-huh…” Thrass said. He was fairly certain Eli’van’to’s brain had shut down after ‘Good day, Lieutenant Vanto’—if the way he kept _moping_ about it was any indication—but it was no longer his problem.

As the carriage pulled in front of the grand manor carved into the jet-black rock, Thrawn moved to open the door then hesitated when he noticed his brother hadn’t moved from his seat.

“Oh, I have _no_ intentions of being here for this,” Thrass said, shoving his brother unceremoniously from the speeder. “He’s _all yours._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about making this a full-length fic ~~whatever that means~~ , but decided to challenge myself to keep my intended one-shot AS a one-shot.
> 
> I compromised and now it's three chapters. 
> 
> Personally, I count this as progress. *self-satisfied nod*
> 
> Update: now it's four... Kriff.


	2. Symmetry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli finds Thrawn’s explanations and assurances _less than convincing._  
>  So Thrawn takes a somewhat novel approach.

**Part II: Symmetry**

****

Thrawn tensed as soon as he stepped inside. The wave of mixed nostalgia and dread he’d initially felt at the thought of returning to his former home had been eclipsed by a vague unease... something almost primal.

He felt like he was being watched.

“Commander Vanto?” Thrawn called out as he dropped the carry-bag of his paltry remaining possessions to the floor with a dull _thud._ He walked toward the East Wing—toward the rooms Thrass had told him he’d granted Eli use of during his limited stays planet-side.

Thrawn’s old rooms.

He found himself assuming the wary-watchfulness he’d grown accustomed to during the few months spent on his exile planet. His muscles were coiled and ready to spring as he prowled down the halls, the portraits of his adoptive ancestors looking down at him in silent judgment.

His shoulders relaxed in relief when he found Eli, seated on a couch in his old study, sipping at a glass of ice wine. “Eli,” he breathed out, finding himself unable to keep up the formality he’d once worn around him like armor for so many years.

“Good day, Admiral Thrawn,” Eli said, not looking up from the datapad on his lap.

Thrawn frowned. “What are you reading?” he asked, curious to know just what could be so demanding as to be less important than, well, _him_.

“Oh, nothing, really,” Eli said. “I’m just looking through the diary you gave me is all... wondering just how many _other_ humans are running around the galaxy with their own copy.”

Perhaps it was the exhaustion of the journey, but Thrawn breathed out an audible laugh of disbelief. Eli looked up at that and suddenly Thrawn was overcome with a fleeting but powerful urge to turn around and run to wherever it was Thrass had so sensibly hidden himself.

Eli’s tone was perfectly polite but his eyes were as sharp as Thrawn had ever seen them as he asked, “Thrawn? Who is _Jorj Car’das_?”

Suddenly, Thrass’s refusal to even _come inside_ made much more sense. He had assumed his brother had been exaggerating. 

More _hoped_ , really. 

“He was a smuggler I knew many years ago,” Thrawn answered.

“Wow,” Eli said flatly. “So informative.”

“I have not seen you in many months,” Thrawn said levelly. “Do you _really_ want to discuss this now?”

“Oh, I _really do_ ," Eli bit out. "If you want, I can paint you a picture real quick so you can see _just how much_."

Thrawn inclined his head and sighed, “Very well: he was a Human who helped me with—“

“Basic?” Eli probed.

“Among other things, yes.”

Eli barked out a laugh. “I’ll _bet_ he did. So,” he said tersely. “You came to the Empire and found somebody who just so happened to share an uncanny resemblance to your old flame—“

“You are _nothing_ alike.”

Eli narrowed his eyes and set his wine on the table with a sharp _clink_. “We look _so_ much alike that Aristocra Chaf’orm’bintrano thought I _was_ Car’das _._ ”

“I expect he thinks all humans look essentially the same,” Thrawn argued. “He is not a famously perceptive individual.”

“He doesn’t seem to have any issues telling _Ronan_ apart!” Eli growled. “You know, that _other_ human you decided to ship off to the Ascendancy? The place you told _me_ you were only sending me off to because you _trusted me oh-so-much?_ ”

“That was different. I thought Ronan could be used as a tool to—“

“And how is that different than me?” Eli demanded, his face increasingly flushed. “Didn’t _I_ just get sent back as a tool, too?”

“Had I not _told_ them so, they never would have accepted you, but _no:_ in my mind, you were being sent for _your best interests!_ ” Thrawn retorted, finding his own anger rising. 

Eli scoffed. “And my _best interests_ somehow involve fixing your people’s little _data problems_? While looking like your _fucking ex?_ ”

Thrawn took a steadying breath. “Eli, I appreciate that you may feel _used,_ but I am having difficulty understanding why you seem to feel so—“

“Betrayed?” Eli suggested.

“Yes.”

“Alright,” Eli said calmly, crossing his legs. “Let’s suppose before I ever met you, I’d met a Chiss. Let’s call him… _Frass."_ Thrawn narrowed his eyes and Eli continued, his voice rising with every sentence, "And _Frass_ just so happened to look a hell of a lot like you. And I learned _Cheunh_ from this _Frass._ And not only did I learn Cheunh from him, but I also _fucked him._ And then a couple years later, I meet _you._ Only, I tell you I learned all that Cheunh from a _book_ and you don't find out about Frass until ten years later when I ship you away to freeze your ass off alone in an _underground ice warren!_ ”

Thrawn determinedly ignored the thinly-veiled implication that Eli could ever consider fucking his brother. “I had my reasons for not sharing the complete truth then, as you now know,” Thrawn said reasonably. “I believed you to be a Neimoidian spy.”

“And _why_ did we think that?” Eli asked sweetly.

Thrawn was incredibly grateful Eli could not see the flush that was surely creeping up his neck, visible only in the infrared. “Because you were too good to be true,” Thrawn said somewhat hopefully.

Eli scoffed. “Because I was your _type,_ you mean? Because I looked like your _last_ pet human?”

Well, _that_ backfired spectacularly.

That Eli had been recruited for his... _qualities_ was, in fact, _precisely_ what Thrawn had feared at the time. He swallowed and hedged, “Not _only_ that—“

Eli moved to stand from the couch but was stopped by a firm blue hand pushing him back down.

“Do you wish me to expound upon your superiority to Car’das in every category?” Thrawn demanded, bracing his hands against the couch on either side of Eli’s shoulders. “I assure you, Eli, you are _incomparable._ Further, he has many qualities which you do not possess, none of which I desire.”

He clasped Eli’s chin in his hand and hissed, “You think I have not cataloged every lover you’ve ever taken since I met you, fantasizing about what I’d do to them for _daring_ to believe themselves worthy of you?”

Eli shot him a skeptical look.

“You do not believe me?” Thrawn asked, raising a challenging eyebrow. “Remember that ISB Agent you bedded when we made our tours of the Coruscanti Dojos while investigating Higher Skies?”

Eli shifted slightly. “Alan, sure,” he said.

“Alex,” Thrawn corrected. “His name was Alexsandr Kallus and I beat him to a pulp with my bare hands at the first opportunity.”

“Oh,” Eli said airily, his throat bobbing as he visibly struggled to swallow.

“You have absolutely _nothing_ to be jealous about, Eli Vanto,” Thrawn said, releasing his chin. “And if you choose to send me away, do you know what I will do?” he asked and Eli gave a minute shake of his head. “I will sit outside your door and _wait_ because there is nowhere I would rather be than with you, but if you will not have me I will settle for sulking in your shadow until you deign to welcome me back inside.”

After several seconds of stunned silence, Eli mumbled, “That was… very poetic."

“Perhaps,” Thrawn said. “But more importantly, it is perfectly true.”

Eli sighed in resignation, his shoulders softening. “Look. I know it’s stupid and more than a little fucked up, but I just _assumed I_ was the first Human you’d ever been with. That what we had was special because of all the bantha-shit we had to fight just to _be_ together. And when I found out that I wasn’t, while I was trapped here _alone_ , and you were back in the Empire I just… well, yeah,” he finished lamely, turning away slightly in a futile attempt to hide his embarrassment.

Thrawn considered for a moment. He had to admit, the thought of Eli ever being with other Chiss was _deeply_ unpleasant. But then, the thought of him with _anyone_ else was deeply unpleasant.

In the time it took to moisten his lips, Thrawn rapidly considered everything he knew about his lover—his history, his desires, his command style—and said, “There are _other_ ways of being my first, Eli.”

“What, I’m the first human you _really_ _cared for_?” Eli said, rolling his eyes.

Given the great deal of stress Eli had been under these past few years, Thrawn chose to ignore the fact that Eli made the suggestion with an air of dismissal. But at the same time, he realized—reluctantly—that his brother _may have had a point_ about the value of open communication about the depths of one's feelings.

_Maybe._

“I have never been the _recipient_ in a sexual encounter,” Thrawn said simply.

Eli frowned. “You mean you’ve never _bottomed,_ is what you're telling me?”

“You may have noticed.”

“Well, _yeah,_ I know you haven’t with _me_ , but _never_? Not even… by _yourself?_ ” When Thrawn nodded, Eli made a thoughtful face and muttered, “We had _very different sexual awakenings,_ ” and then something that sounded suspiciously like: _something something_ "vegetables _"_ _something something_.

“Never,” Thrawn confirmed.

Eli narrowed his eyes. “And you _want_ to?” he asked carefully. “You’re not just _saying that_ because you think it’ll make _me_ happy?" With a grumble he added, "Or shut me up?”

Until he’d heard the words leave his mouth, Thrawn had thought that yes: the offer was largely to appease Eli. Frankly, it had been a _very unfortunate few months_ and the only things that kept him going were 1. spite and 2. the thought of burying his face in that _exquisite ass_ before wrecking it like a purrgil tearing into the Seventh Fleet.

But now there was a thrum of excitement prickling over his skin at the prospect of surrendering control to his lover and he found himself saying quite truthfully: “If it’s with you, yes. I want to.” He arched an eyebrow and added, “You certainly always seem to be very… _vocal_ about your own enjoyment.”

Eli opened and closed his mouth. After a few moments, he admitted with a small smile, “In the spirit of full disclosure: topping might not make me any _quieter_.”

“Indeed, I should hope not,” Thrawn said. “So. Will you take me, Eli Vanto?” he asked.

Eli made a strained choking noise. “If you really _want_ me to… I mean _I_ haven’t actually done this before, either.”

“I have every confidence in us,” Thrawn said with a subtle smirk as he held out a hand to Eli.

Eli, Thrawn knew, _really_ enjoyed his hands.

Eli glanced at the hand suspiciously. "So what, you think we can just _fuck_ our problems away?" 

Thrawn hummed thoughtfully then said, "Perhaps... perhaps not. Either way, we have always enjoyed _trying_."

"Well played," Eli conceded, allowing Thrawn to pull him up from the couch and straight into his arms for a very, _very_ heated kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s just say I found Thrawn’s explanation about why he thought Eli was a spy in the novel less than convincing. Welcome to my head canon.
> 
> I couldn’t resist sneaking some self-indulgent Kallivant in there ~~and I’m not sorry~~


	3. Chiss Don't Beg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrawn long suspected that Eli had a talent for command, but he didn't appreciate his own talent for _submission._

**Part III: Chiss _Don't Beg_**

The pair left a trail of shoes and clothes as they kissed their way from the study to the bedroom. It took quite a while to traverse the short distance, as each discarded piece of clothing and inch of revealed skin was met with an enthusiastic reunion—a reacquaintance of hands with flesh. But by the time Eli guided Thrawn backward through the bedroom door with Thrawn’s bottom lip between his teeth, they'd finally managed to strip completely.

Thrawn allowed himself to be pushed against the huge, burgundy-draped bed, breaking their kiss as he sat on the edge. “How do you want me, Commander?” he asked, his lips already kiss-swollen and shining.

Eli glanced up at the ceiling and mouthed _sweet space_ before returning his gaze to Thrawn. “You’re still flexible, right?” Eli asked and Thrawn arched a pointed eyebrow. “Right. Then, um, on your back, I think—I wanna be able to see you.” More quietly he muttered, “Make sure I’m not fucking this up too badly.”

“On the contrary, Eli,” Thrawn said as he took Eli’s hand in his. “I was rather hoping you would 'fuck me up' _very badly._ ” He guided two of Eli’s fingers into his mouth, swirling his tongue around them before releasing his hand.

“Oh, _fuck me_ he’s using word-play,” Eli said breathlessly as he watched Thrawn crawl backward, reclining against the pillows, his cock resting heavily against his blue thigh.

Even without the desperate, open-mouthed look Eli was giving him, Thrawn was perfectly aware of how exquisite his cerulean form looked against the variegated reds and blacks of his old bed.

Still, the validation was quite nice.

And the vaguely _predatory_ edge to Eli’s intense gaze—something wholly _new_ —was _more_ than nice. Thrawn felt the heat of desire bloom in his core as he watched Eli move with purpose to the bedside table, felt his cock twitch as Eli retrieved a bottle of oil and shot him a hungry look before tossing it casually to the bed to bounce beside him.

Eli crawled onto the bed to rest between Thrawn’s propped knees, his eyes lingering appreciatively over his body before returning to his red eyes. “Do you have _any idea_ how fucking beautiful you look?” Before Thrawn could answer, Eli snorted softly. “Look who I’m talking to: of course you fucking do.”

“I expect I’ll look even better with you inside me,” Thrawn said, pointedly rubbing his inner thigh against Eli’s side. He had once made Eli come from just dirty talk and little more than a few nudges with his leg against Eli’s uniform-covered crotch, and had taken it as a personal mission to do so again (though he hadn’t quite managed it yet).

And from the fleeting, withering look Eli shot him, his lover was _perfectly_ aware of his train of thought.

Eli knew him so well.

Thrawn smirked and Eli shook his head in patient amusement as he popped open the lube, dribbling clear oil onto his cock. Before he could coat himself, Thrawn leaned forward to take Eli’s shaft in his own hand, applying steady pressure with his thumb as he prepared his lover to enter him with the same care and attention he usually prepared Eli to _be_ entered.

He wondered if the same thought had crossed Eli’s mind as he felt his lover’s shaft, already hard and hot in his hand, throb against his palm. Eli groaned through clenched teeth as he watched Thrawn’s blue hand work slowly up and down his flushed cock, squeezing the head and giving it a quick twist before releasing it to bob gently before him.

Eli let out a shaky breath as he poured more oil into his hand, working it between his fingers to warm it. “Lay back for me,” he said, something about the quality of his low voice _utterly_ compelling.

Thrawn obeyed, his thighs automatically falling open as Eli laid over him. Eli kissed a line up Thrawn’s throat that left his skin thrumming with anticipation, not unlike the nervous excitement he felt before every battle.

And there was no one he’d rather have at his side for either than Eli Vanto.

Thrawn sighed in contentment as Eli trailed his oil-slicked fingertips over his indigo-flushed shaft, coaxing him to full hardness, and making light, teasing touches over his balls.

Eli kissed his way lower, an echo of the movements of his hand as it too moved down, pressing lightly over the soft skin behind his balls.

Thrawn rested one hand on Eli’s shoulder and twined his fingers through the soft brown hair he loved so much with the other, his touches gentle and encouraging.

When Eli closed his mouth over a nipple just as he pressed a slick finger against his hole, Thrawn reflexively tightened his fingers in Eli’s hair, hissing out a breath of mixed pleasure and surprise. It had been many months since they’d last been together and Thrawn had nearly forgotten how _hot_ that mouth was.

Eli glanced upward, his tongue still circling a blue nipple as he silently asked for permission to continue. Thrawn nodded and the corners of Eli’s lips twitched in a smile as he bit down lightly on his nipple and pressed two fingers against his entrance, circling the rim.

Thrawn closed his eyes and concentrated on the sensations: some familiar, some new. Even with this role-reversal, his lover still knew just what he needed to do to maintain Thrawn’s state of arousal. Eli had moved on to his other nipple, swirling his tongue around the sensitive nub, sending occasional jolts of pain and pleasure that went straight to his cock with each nip of teeth. Eli’s weight was heavy against Thrawn’s stomach, warm and comforting. The fingers at his entrance felt strange, true, but not in the sense of something that did not belong, only in the sense of something that hadn’t yet been.

“Ready?” Eli asked, pushing away from Thrawn’s chest to brace himself with a hand on the mattress. He nodded and Eli pushed a finger inside, stopping just past the first knuckle, massaging the tight ring of muscle.

“Alright?” Eli asked, stilling his finger.

“Yes,” Thrawn said. “More.”

Eli slid his finger further until the knuckles of his other fingers nudged Thrawn’s balls. “Still alright?” he asked.

“I will let you know when it stops being ‘alright,’ Commander,” Thrawn said somewhat imperiously.

Eli rolled his eyes and pulled out his finger, replacing it with two, twisting as they slid inside.

Thrawn arched an eyebrow, about to remark on the shift in the quality of sensation when he felt Eli curl his fingers inside him and a _jolt_ of sensation shot through him, making his legs spasm against the bed.

“Ah,” Eli said mildly as he let up the pressure on Thrawn’s prostate. “That answers _that_ question,” he mumbled to himself.

Thrawn swallowed and said, “I am ready, Eli.”

“You sure?” Eli asked with a furrowed brow. “You’re still _really tight._ ”

“I promise you that is part of the _point_ of what you’re about to experience,” Thrawn said flatly.

“Yeah, well I can tell _you—_ ” Eli said, pressing once more against his prostate and making him twitch and groan, “—that bottoming takes _getting used to._ ”

“You know I dislike begging,” Thrawn said tightly.

Eli gave him a conceding nod and retracted his fingers, grinning as Thrawn reflexively slid down to follow his hand.

Eli spread his own knees further as he coaxed Thrawn’s knees gently apart, turning back to guide Thrawn’s calves to rest against the back of his thighs. 

“Are you alright like this?” Eli asked.

In response, Thrawn lifted his ass from the bed, leaning his weight against his upper back to pull Eli’s pelvis sharply against his own with his legs. “You’ve seen me in far more outrageous positions than this, Eli.”

Eli’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment as their bare cocks collided. He leaned back and muttered, “I’m just _checking_ _in_ , you athletic smartass.”

“Yes,” Thrawn said more quietly, squeezing Eli’s shoulders in his hands. “I am alright, Eli.”

Eli gave him a lingering look then nodded. He braced himself with a forearm beside Thrawn’s chest as he guided his cock to his entrance with one hand. Thrawn watched Eli’s face as he pushed inside, memorizing the way his mouth fell open just as his eyes screwed shut. The sound he made—a lilting, falling moan he was certain Eli could have transcribed to music if he’d had the mind to—shot straight to his own cock and he found a quieter, answering moan vibrating in his throat as the thickest part of Eli breached him.

Thrawn fought the urge to clench against the intrusion, finding it surprisingly difficult until Eli said: “ _Fuck me with a lightsaber, you feel amazing,”_ with a deep groan.

Thrawn caught his lower lip in his teeth to restrain the silent laughter waiting in his chest, finding himself relaxing once more against the stretch. Eli shot him a look, “I just wasn’t prepared for it to feel _this good_ , alright?”

Thrawn gave a small nod. “It is quite nice, is it not?”

“' _Quite nice_ ,’” Eli mouthed mockingly before leaning down to capture Thrawn’s lip in his own teeth, giving him a quick nip before kissing him tenderly.

Thrawn returned the kiss as he adjusted himself to the sensation of fullness, feeling his own cock pulse against his stomach as the stretch became less an intrusion and more a promise of pleasures to come. He slid his hands up Eli’s back, his brown skin flushed hot beneath his palms, the curve of his lower back already damp with sweat. Quite possibly from the effort of _not_ thrusting into the welcoming, warm pull of his lover’s body: a struggle he knew well.

Eli licked the inside of Thrawn’s lower lip before pulling away, his stuttering breaths tickling Thrawn’s mouth as he asked, “More?”

What had started as a feeling of fullness became one of heat and _urgency_ and Thrawn nodded. Eli pushed further inside with agonizing slowness, hissing out a breath. Thrawn gripped Eli’s ass to urge him on until he felt warm skin against his own cock as their bodies came together.

Thrawn’s breath hitched for a moment as it occurred to him for the first time that Eli Vanto was _inside_ him. He felt the familiar thrum of excitement that came with every new venture, every new opportunity to learn more about existence, echoing the steady thrum of pleasure inside him. As Thrawn settled, Eli lazily traced shapes across his blue thigh, the forms he created with his fingertips as intimate as a love letter. His breaths were slow and deep as the rest of his body stayed resolutely still.

Even with this stillness _—_ the only contact on his own cock the gentle pressure of Eli’s lower abdomen pressing his shaft against his own stomach _—_ Thrawn felt his arousal building inside him, slow and gentle like calm, warm waves. Considered against the louder, sharper pleasure of being _inside_ Eli, Thrawn found the experience almost soothing in comparison.

Eli pressed a gentle kiss to Thrawn’s forehead, his brown eyes flashing. “Are you ready to take it?” he husked. 

Thrawn rolled his hips upward experimentally and Eli bit back a moan. Feeling only a pleasurable twinge at the movement, Thrawn nodded once more.

Eli pushed himself up, his hands braced on either side of Thrawn’s waist. With a groan he pulled out as slowly as he could, waiting a beat before pressing gently back inside. “ _Space,_ you’re so fucking tight…” he gasped as he was sucked into his lover's body, his brown hair shielding his eyes as his head hung downward.

Thrawn bit back an _I told you so_.

“You won’t hurt me, Eli,” Thrawn assured him instead, trailing his fingers along brown biceps.

Eli bent his elbows to capture Thrawn’s mouth in a quick kiss before locking his arms and rolling his hips, pulling out halfway before _thrusting_ back inside.

Thrawn felt a groan rumble in his chest as Eli’s hard heat slid inside him, stretching his walls _—_ his hands gripping Eli’s arms as if to steady himself against the thrum of building tension and heat.

Eli pushed one of Thrawn’s knees back against his own shoulder to cant his hips upward, gripping the hard muscle of Thrawn's thigh in his hand as he thrust inside once more.

“ _Oh—_ “ Thrawn groaned, legs spasming, neck stiffening, and head lurching from the bed as Eli sparked a sudden _jolt_ of pure sensation inside him, so much more intense than before.

“Good?” Eli asked with a cocky, lopsided grin.

Thrawn just nodded, bracing himself as what had been a gentle building of pleasure became a flare, sharp and demanding.

As if the sound of Thrawn’s surprised vocalization was all it took, Eli set a carefully-calculated rhythm _,_ hard and confident—pushing Thrawn’s thigh back with each third thrust to hit that spot again. Each thrill of shock-like sensation as Eli _nailed_ his prostate was offset by two, slow, _lazy_ thrusts _._ Every moment of relief from almost-overwhelming stimulation was tempting Thrawn to raise his hips to meet Eli’s movements, goading him to beg for _more_.

But Chiss do not beg.

Thrawn arched upward, taking his weight on his shoulders and gripped Eli’s ass in his hands with bruising force, pulling him to _slam_ him against his own body with a slap of skin on skin.

Eli choked out a moan, panting as Thrawn shot him a challenging look, which Eli returned. “Problem?” he asked, stilling his thrusts.

“There is no problem,” Thrawn said. “I was only wondering when you were planning on _fucking me_.”

Eli breathed out a laugh. “Alright, _Admiral_ ,” he said, his voice on the edge of a growl. “You want me to fuck you so hard you’re seeing double, and both men nailing you to this ridiculous fucking bed are Eli Vanto because no _smuggler_ could ever fuck you this good? You want me to wreck you until the only name you can even fucking remember is _mine?_ ”

Thrawn stared. He had not expected to find Eli’s jealousy quite so… perhaps _arousing_ wasn’t the correct word, but—

 _No,_ he realized as he could do nothing but nod dumbly in response, _arousing was definitely the correct word._

“Then _pull your knees back for me_ ,” Eli ordered as he slid his hands beneath Thrawn’s back.

Thrawn did so, and Eli thrust inside him— _hard._

Had Thrawn not been held in place with Eli’s hands he was certain he’d have slammed against the headboard with the force of it. But as it was, Eli held him there as he fucked him hard and deep, hips snapping forward in a punishing rhythm, never relenting the steady pound of his cockhead against Thrawn’s prostate.

Thrawn’s shoulders sank back against the cushions as each thrust brought a sudden shock of pleasure-bordering-on-pain, sending jolts of heat to his cock and radiating through his limbs. It was too much, _too good_ , and he greedily took it all, urging Eli on with quiet, stuttering gasps, each one punctuated with a grunt in time with Eli’s thrusts.

Eli let out a feral _growl_ as Thrawn clawed his fingers down Eli’s back, digging his short nails into warm skin. The sound shot straight to Thrawn’s cock and he _moaned,_ loud and long as a spurt of precum _shot_ from his leaking cock, collecting in the dips of his abdomen. 

Eli pulled a hand out from beneath Thrawn to slide his fingers into the pearly fluid, locking eyes with the man beneath him as he took the fingers into his mouth, sucking them clean. Thrawn felt his eyes widen, his mouth falling open into a needy groan as he watched his lover taste him. Without ceasing his thrusts, Eli ran his precum-slickened thumb along Thrawn’s bottom lip, moaning himself as he watched the Chiss take the digit into his mouth, rolling his tongue around it and savoring the sweet saltiness of his own essence on Eli’s skin.

Eli groaned deep in his throat as he sped up his thrusts, and the heat in Thrawn’s groin built to almost intolerable levels. Thrawn moved his hand to his own erection—slickened with Eli’s sweat and his own precum—and began to stroke himself frantically toward completion. The sensations were _too_ overwhelming, the pleasure _too_ sharp, and he was _desperate_ to come as he’d never experienced before. 

Eli shifted his arm to pull Thrawn’s hand away and lock it in his own, and Thrawn _whimpered_ for the first time in his life, arching desperately against Eli. Eli pressed Thrawn’s hand back into the mattress with his as he pounded mercilessly into his lover, the _slap...slap...slap_ of skin on skin echoing in the large chamber in times with the _bam, bam, bam_ of the headboard rocking against the wall.

Eli lowered himself, lining their chests together, and Thrawn relished the paltry friction against cock, writhing upward to fuck into the slide of both their sweat-slick stomachs. Eli licked the shell of Thrawn’s ear, his breath hot against his cheek and his voice hardly recognizable as he hissed, “You’ll come from this or you won’t _come at all, Admiral._ ”

Thrawn clenched his eyes shut, willing himself to not come right then and there. He hardly recognized the sounds that tore from his own throat as Eli sank his teeth into his neck, losing himself in the throbbing pain and the sharp pleasure of _thrust_ after _thrust_ after _thrust_.

Red eyes shot open, Thrawn’s free hand clenching in Eli's hair as he begged, “ _Eli,_ please _, Eli—_ ”

Eli cut off the sound of his own name with a hurried kiss.

“Tell me whose you are _, Thrawn,”_ Eli said, lips ghosting against Thrawn’s, the low growl of his voice intensifying with each thrust. “Tell me whose gonna fuck you just how you _need to be fucked_ ‘til you come on my cock _._ ”

Thrawn had the brief, vague thought that this was _not_ what he had been expecting when he’d stepped off that shuttle but _this was so much better—_ until Eli fucked all thought clear out of him and Thrawn could do nothing but gasp, “Eli—yes—yours—never stop—yours— _all yours_ —“

The Chiss clenched his legs around Eli’s waist, pulling him in deeper, drawing out a throaty groan from Eli that he himself echoed. Eli’s thrusts became more harried and uneven. He bit a moan into Thrawn’s neck and _squeezed_ Thrawn’s hand in his with bruising force just as he dug his fingers into Thrawn’s ass.

Heat and tension built in Thrawn’s groin until he was no longer able to distinguish pleasure from pain—both extremes writhing and coiling inside him like the twin serpents of the chimaera, biting and swallowing one another whole until there was only ecstasy roaring in his ears and tunneling his vision.

Thrawn felt Eli stiffen and come hard, painting his walls with hot jets, filling him completely as he growled out Thrawn’s name against his shoulder and Thrawn _wailed,_ arching his back from the bed as the tension building inside him _burst_ into shockwaves of overwhelming pleasure—shooting streams of cum across his chest, hitting his own chin with the force of it. Eli rocked against him, each of his short thrusts drawing out another salvo of sensation from Thrawn like an aftershock until he could do nothing but moan wantonly and convulse beneath his lover.

Eli licked a thick stripe up Thrawn’s throat and over his chin, cleaning him of his cum before locking their mouths together in a sloppy kiss. Thrawn moaned against his mouth, licking his own cum from Eli’s tongue until he had to gasp for breath, collapsing against the pillows. A gentle heat prickled over him, the pleasure washing over him like gentle, warm waves once more.

Thrawn twined his fingers in Eli’s sweat-soaked hair to pull him closer and they kissed again, open-mouthed and clumsy until their heartbeats slowed, both their gasping breaths echoing against the other’s mouth. Thrawn’s legs fall against the mattress before he’d even realized he’d released their hold around Eli’s waist.

Thrawn felt Eli soften inside him, the room suddenly colder as his lover pulled out. Eli pulled Thrawn's hand to his and placed a quick kiss to the knuckles and released it before burying his face in Thrawn’s neck. Thrawn nuzzled his face into brown sweat-damp hair, breathing in the warm scent. He noted with no small amount of relief that while Eli’s diet and the cleansing products he used had necessarily changed since relocating to the Ascendancy, his underlying scent was the same as he remembered.

After several long minutes of simply holding and being held by one another, Eli lifted his head, skin flushed and hair a complete mess. “Are you alright?” he asked, gently stroking Thrawn’s thigh where he’d doubtlessly left marks.

“Exceptionally,” Thrawn said without hesitation, surprised to hear how hoarse his own voice had become.

“You just seem a little… far away,” Eli said, brow furrowed with concern. “What are you thinking?” he asked, pushing Thrawn's sweat-soaked hair from his forehead.

Thrawn tilted his head thoughtfully and observed, “I was only considering how you... took command.”

Eli cocked an eyebrow. “I noticed you _liked it,_ ” he growled, nipping Thrawn’s chin.

“Perhaps,” Thrawn said, a smile twitching at his lips.

Eli rolled his eyes and mouthed, _“Perhaps,”_ smiling warmly at his lover. He pushed himself onto an elbow, grinning down at Thrawn. “This is the part where you tell me I’m better in bed than Car’das, by the way,” he said. “No pressure or anything.”

"Who?" Thrawn asked innocently and Eli gave him a light shove.

"Stop deflecting by being cute," he said, fondly tracing the lines of Thrawn's forehead and jaw.

“'No pressure,' hm?” Thrawn repeated with a knowing smile.

Eli made an utterly unconvincing attempt at a casual “Mhmm, _”_ his brown eyes glittering.

Thrawn took Eli's hand and pressed a lingering kiss to his inner wrist, the still-thrumming pulse fluttering gently against his lips. “Very well," he said. "No one else has ever made me feel so understood, so pleasured, so whole, so loved, so desired, and so fulfilled, and no one else _ever will_.”

Eli’s eyes widened. “Wow,” he said with a nervous laugh, his face a beacon in the infrared.

“And _this_ is where you return the compliment, Eli,” Thrawn said with an amused look, releasing Eli's hand. “You yourself have explained this to me _several times_.”

Eli let out a long breath that fluttered his bangs as he considered. Then with a smirk, he said, “I honestly worry that if you were any better my dick would explode.”

Thrawn nodded. “Given the circumstances, I suppose that will have to do,” he said mildly. He tilted his head as he watched Eli worry at his bottom lip, the corners of his brown eyes crinkled in the trace of laughter. “What is it?” he asked.

Eli wrinkled his nose. “I’m debating if I should even bring this up, considering... but uh...” Thrawn pinched him firmly in the side and he wriggled on top of him with a laughed “Ow! Alright, alright... well, you mentioned those ISB Agents I slept with—“

Both of Thrawn’s eyebrows went up at the plural _Agents_ but did not comment and Eli continued, “And uh... well...” he hedged, doodling what felt to Thrawn like an ISD (or possibly something more vulgar) on his blue chest with his finger. “Imayavcaldoudarungnem,” he mumbled imperceptibly. 

”Was that even Basic?” Thrawn asked. 

Eli let out a short breath. “What I _said_ was when I was with one of them or both of them—I fucking forget—but I distinctly remember I was facing away from him... by design... and I sort of... called out the wrong name,” he finished neatly. 

Thrawn felt his lips part as he stared at Eli. “You called out ‘Thrawn’ during sex with Agent Kallus?” he asked, biting back a smile. 

That was an exceptionally satisfying piece of information.

Eli buried his face in Thrawn’s chest and groaned, “I tried to tell him I wasn’t saying ‘Thrawn,' that I was saying something else but it was _so clear_ and _so loud_.”

”You are quite loud.” 

“I know...” Eli lifted his head once more and said, “But my point is—and don’t look at me like that, I did have a point—none of those other guys ever stood a chance against the mere _thought_ of you, even then. And when we finally got together on Cyphar, that thought of you could never hope to compare to actually having _you_... and being had by you. So, _you_ do the math... for once _."_

Eli's eyes flickered to Thrawn's self-satisfied smirk and managed to both scowl and smile at the same time. "You are one smug Chiss, you know that?"

"Indeed. Perhaps I should be punished later," Thrawn said, feeling a thrum of excitement at the prospect. Eli breathed out a laugh and kissed his shoulder as Thrawn continued, “And you do, Eli ... have me, that is.” 

Eli snorted softly. “I'd fucking _better,_ ” he muttered, nuzzling his face back into the crook of Thrawn’s shoulder. Thrawn heard a flesh-muffled “Love you,” before Eli fell promptly asleep, effectively trapping Thrawn beneath him.

"And I love you," Thrawn said quietly. He hummed thoughtfully as he stroked Eli’s hair, careful not to wake him. “Jorj never fell asleep after,” he muttered to no one in particular, frowning as he considered possible underlying reasons and their implications.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have added a short SassaThrassy postlude, coming (ha) soon.
> 
> ~~Don't worry--the guys are gonna g'oo'gle this whole dom/sub thing and work out some boundaries and safewords for next time.~~


	4. Keep It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrass pops home for a change of clothes, then promptly pops out again.

**Part IV: "Keep It"**

**_Three weeks later…_ **

Thrass stumbled through the front door, wrinkling his face at the stale taste in his own mouth. Negotiations with the Chaf family had been going on for _thirty-three hours straight._ They’d agreed to break apart for an hour to get a change of clothes, at least.

It was the best idea Aristocra Chaf’orm’bintrano had ever had in that vacant, perfectly-conditioned head of his.

After a thorough washing, Thrass stumbled into his generous walk-in wardrobe, choosing his third-best outfit (as he’d already been wearing his second-best, and his first-best would have been far too presumptuous for a meeting with the haughty, yellow-clad bastards).

He reached toward the wall of accessories for the wampa-leather belt he’d acquired last season to offset these particular pants and frowned.

The belt wasn’t there.

He leaned back in surprise.

 _None_ of his belts were there. 

He felt his eyes close and a groan rumble in his throat as he stomped out of his quarters. His brother had only been back for three weeks and already he’d been finding things _missing_. And _now_ he wouldn’t have time for a _ch’ai_ because he would have to stomp _all the way_ to the East Wing in search of his desired belt—or _any_ belt—instead.

Thrass arched an eyebrow when he noticed the framed portraits of their adoptive ancestors tapping rhythmically against the wall. He slowed his pace. The closer he got to his brother’s chambers, the more insistent the _tap-tap-tap_ of the portraits became until they were positively _rattling_ in their frames, echoed by the distinctive _Bam! Bam! Bam!_ of an antique headboard slamming into a stone wall.

“You wanna come, Admiral? Then say my name like you _mean it,_ ” growled a voice Thrass hardly even _recognized_ but knew—hoped?—was Eli’van’to’s. 

If that hadn’t been disconcerting enough, the howls that followed—he thought he might have detected an ‘E’-sound but the ‘Li’ portion was rather lost in the… sobs? Mewls?

Was there a _large, horny blue cat_ in there?

Apparently, whatever self-confident creature Eli’van’to had morphed into agreed with the Syndic because he snapped, “My _entire name—_ try again!” followed by the distinct _SMACK!_ of what he suspected was his designer wampa-leather belt on his baby brother’s blue butt.

“Keep it,” Thrass muttered, thinking to himself that if his pants fell down it might even speed things along with the Chaf.

Until he heard his brother cry out, “ELI VANTO!” Thrass did not realize he even _had_ the coordination to run backwards, _but run backwards he did_ , doing his level best to ignore the (blessedly) door-muffled shouts of ecstasy that followed every slap of couture leather on blue skin.

Once he made it back to the silent sanctuary of his carriage, Thrass snorted. “What do you know? There _is_ somebody Thrawn is willing to listen to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Utterly ridiculous bonus material ~~possible sequel~~
> 
> Thirteen years previously, Thrawn looks up Car’das while enrolled at Royal Imperial Academy and they have a stress-relief quickie. Thrawn—though he’d never admit it—growls “Eli” at an unfortunate moment, and they never speak again. 
> 
> Fast-forward to one week after the time of _this_ fic. Far across the galaxy, Car’das receives a text transmission.  
> ::Hey Car’douche. Stay the fuck out of Chiss space unless you want to see how prettily your ex can beg for my dick. --Eli::  
> Car’das furrows his brows in confusion. Once he makes the connection, his eyes widen and he mutters, “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” He turns to call over his shoulder, “Lando? Babe? Come see the _nerve_ of this kid.”


End file.
